Cormorant 2021 Grenache Blanc + Marsanne, PrestonVineyards, Dry Creek Valley

Tasting notes:

These two grapes come together to create a balanced and bright white wine that is Grenache Blanc forward in its aromas with some of the weight of the Marsanne. Together we have a wine with notes of Papaya, candied Green Apple, Lime, and several floral aromas. It is Medium Bodied with a nice acid backbone with a pleasant 12.9% alc.

Number of Cases Produced:

205

Additional Info:

I fermented and aged this wine in primarily neutral French oak barrels. Fermented with ambient yeast from the vineyard is the only way I make Cormorant wines. With all of my wines, the fermentation is simple; bring it in, press it, put it in barrels, watch it closely and finally bottle it when it is time.

Only a small amount of sulfites, 25ppm, was added to the wine. No other winemaking products, finning, or filtration were used to make this wine.

Location and varietal are the critical components of this wine. Preston vineyard is deep in Dry Creek Valley, so the mix of Grenache Blanc and Marsanne should be perfect if picked at the right time. Marsanne has a history of no acid, and Grenache Blanc grown in Dry Creek can have high acid until the sugar starts climbing in the fruit. So it was necessary to time the Grenache Blanc pick, so the wine had the right aromas and a good amount of acid to lift the sometimes flat Marsanne. On the other side of the argument of this wine, you could say I used Marsanne’s acid profile to soften the wine from the Grenache Blanc.